Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Nebraska-Kansas State Preview

What's At Stake
Kansas State already has a jump in Big 12 play, as they have defeated Iowa State in conference play. This is Nebraska's Big 12 opener, and it comes on the road, where Manhatten will be a purple nightmare. The Huskers are the front runner in the Big 12 if you follow popular opinion, but K-State has played better than what people expected of them. Both schools desperately need this win, or they will be playing the rest of 2010 from a very deep hole.

Nebraska Will Win If...
Taylor Martinez plays beyond his years and does not make the same freshman mistakes that plagued him against lowly South Dakota State. Martinez was generating serious Heisman buzz before that game, and a huge game against the Wildcats on the road could put him back on some awards watch list. Control the clock, play mistake free (turnover free) football, and drown out the noise. The Blackshirts need to play as they have all this season, and they need to contain the rushing attack of Daniel Thomas. Nebraska will be the best defensive football team that KSU will have played this season.

Kansas State Will Win If...
Daniel Thomas needs to have a career game at home. The Wildcats, as we stated earlier, are already ahead of the game with a conference win, but they need to find a way to blow open some holes for the rushing game. Everyone will be keying in on Thomas, so this will be a very good time for Carson Coffman to turn into a real grown up QB and have the kind of game that D1 QBs should have. Daniel Thomas could be used as an effective play action tool.

Vegas Line: Nebraska -10
I pick: Huskers should win, but I would be afraid to take them -10 on the road. KSU will give them everything that they have, and Bill Snyder is one hell of a wiley coach. Whatever plagued Nebraska against South Dakota State had better be out of their system.

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